The weekend summer rush and the commencement of Char Dham yatra are worsening the traffic situation in the state, especially in Rishikesh, Uttarkashi and Mussoorie.
In Dehradun, tourist attractions like Sahastradhara waterfalls, Robber’s Cave and Maldevta frequently witness traffic gridlocks over the weekend. “We have identified these areas and are implementing diversions and other measures to alleviate the situation. Traffic is expected to increase in the coming weeks,” said Anuj Arya, circle officer (traffic).
The traffic department urged people to use the alternative route through Vikas Nagar for travel to Yamunotri and Gangotri as highways near these destinations were experiencing heavy traffic due to high number of pilgrims.
In Uttarkashi, even though govt has proposed multi-storey parkings in major locations of the yatra route, construction work remains incomplete. Notably, construction of multi-storey parking facilities in Uttarkashi town, a crucial stop along the Gangotri shrine route, remains incomplete. It has a capacity to accommodate around 40 buses and 80 other vehicles at a time. Similarly, work on a parking facility in Joshiyara area, capable of holding around 200 vehicles, has halted due to a land dispute. Additionally, the construction of another parking area in Heena region of Gangotri route remains unfinished. Meanwhile, the proposed parking project in Naugaon region, a key stop on Yamunotri yatra route, has not commenced. The construction of a multi-storey parking facility in Barkot town, gateway to Yamunotri shrine, also remains to be completed.
Dwarika Semwal, a social activist, said, “The problem is that govt is only focused on increasing the number of pilgrims in Char Dham yatra but resources are inadequate to handle it. Tourist vehicles coming to Char Dham should be sent in limited numbers to ease the burden on the route.”
Meanwhile, at starting points of the yatra in Rishikesh and Haridwar, heavy traffic jams were observed on Sunday. Particularly affected were the Rishikesh-Tapovan road, Saptrishi road in Haridwar, and various points on Haridwar-Delhi highway.
The opening of Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri took place on the auspicious occasion of Akshay Tritiya, while Badrinath Dham will open on May 12. Helicopters showered petals on the Kedarnath shrine as its doors opened. These high-altitude shrines remain closed for six months each year, opening in summer and closing at the onset of winter.
Mohit Arya, a local from Bhowali in Nainital told TOI, “The influx of tourists bound for Kaichi Dham through Bhowali resulted in standstill traffic on Sunday.” Traffic congestion remained a challenge in Mussoorie, with reports of delays along the route between Kincraig and Gandhi Chowk. “On Saturday, it took more than an hour for tourists to travel 2km between Kincraig and Gandhi Chowk,” said Shalabh Garg, a shopkeeper.
